Top ODM governor banned from the U.S. over corruption

Sources close to the governor confided to us that he was indeed denied the visa when he sought to travel to the United States to attend an important event. The U.S. embassy is reported not to have given any reasons for the denial. The embassy issued visas for others who travelled for the event.

A top ODM governor has been blacklisted from entering the United States due to his suspected involvement in high level corruption. The official sought to travel to the United States recently but was denied a visa at the Nairobi embassy, the Kenya Free Press can authoritatively report. United States embassies do not normally confirm the denial of visa for blacklisted individuals, so we did not seek its verification of the governor's case.

However, sources close to the governor confided to us that he was indeed denied the visa when he sought to travel to the United States to attend an important event. The U.S. embassy is reported not to have given any reasons for the denial. But the embassy issued visas for other individuals who travelled for the event, the sources added.

Since President Obama's endorsement last year of the Kenya government's now collapsed anti-corruption drive that saw a number of cabinet secretaries and top officials removed from office ahead of the U.S. leader's visit, the United States has been under pressure from civil society and concerned Kenyans to show its commitment to promoting good governance in the country.

In response, the U.S. has implemented a behind-the-scenes programme to "pass a message" to the Kenyan authorities, including banning a number of top individuals from the U.S. in the past few months of 2016. At least three other governors have also been banned, according to infomation reaching the Kenya Free Press.